| The Need for Scholarship Program.. |
- Not everybody needs help! Even if someone needs help, one could
still refuse to accept help because s/he could decide "not to".
Others would call this "pride". A person living in poverty is usually
very sensitive, feeling that s/he could have been, too, in a unique
position to help but couldn't because s/he wouldn't have the means
to do it.The worst that could happen to hurt the feeling of
someone in need of help is when s/he receives a "dole-out" type
of help. Dole-out help is a form of help that is designed with a
string-attached. It is not meant to empower a person, meaning of
"helping a person help himself so he can help others". It is meant
to perpetuate a person's dependency on the kind of help being
provided. - What CYDFI Scholarship Program is offering to its target
population is to empower them through a Scholarship Program
Model designed to help them help themselves so they can help
incoming scholars on a continuous loop basis leading to breaking
the cycle of poverty among them with implications not only to
personal but community growth and development. - Since the Foundation is geared up to respond on the issue of
poverty in rural places in the Philippines, such as Calantas and
Nabuclod, the following reflection is offered and presented on:
| "Some Root Causes of Poverty" |
One of the objectives of Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. is "to break
the cycle of poverty by helping youth help himself and in turn, expect him to help
incoming scholars as well". This objective is too big to accomplish because there is
no other way, at a glance, one can really solve the depth of poverty in our midst.
Poverty is a universal phenomenon that there is no apparent end or solution to it.
It seems like the world we live in is created as such that we develop our immune
system into recognizing it but not willing to do something about it. We excuse
ourselves in saying,"if they are bothered, they do something about it. It is not me!
For so long as I am not bothered, I am ok! I don't need to lift a finger because I
don't care".
It seems to me that the birth of poverty could be traced with the attitude of "I don't
care". When a person has an attitude of "I don't care", apparently he begins to
live for himself only. When a person lives for himself and unmindful of those
around him, the world stops spinning around. As far as he is concerned, it doesn't
matter! But, it does...if it happens to be you!
the cycle of poverty by helping youth help himself and in turn, expect him to help
incoming scholars as well". This objective is too big to accomplish because there is
no other way, at a glance, one can really solve the depth of poverty in our midst.
Poverty is a universal phenomenon that there is no apparent end or solution to it.
It seems like the world we live in is created as such that we develop our immune
system into recognizing it but not willing to do something about it. We excuse
ourselves in saying,"if they are bothered, they do something about it. It is not me!
For so long as I am not bothered, I am ok! I don't need to lift a finger because I
don't care".
It seems to me that the birth of poverty could be traced with the attitude of "I don't
care". When a person has an attitude of "I don't care", apparently he begins to
live for himself only. When a person lives for himself and unmindful of those
around him, the world stops spinning around. As far as he is concerned, it doesn't
matter! But, it does...if it happens to be you!
"I don't care attitude" rings the bell of selfishness. For when a person thinks
only of himself, he will not care to share. When a person does not share, it
deprives others who are less privileged. If you are less privileged, you suffer
the consequences manifested by your living socio-economic conditions and find
yourself in abject poverty. When you are in abject poverty, you are apparently
condemned to your human "survival" condition of basically meeting your
human needs. For so long that I have food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter to
sleep and rest at night time, I will be alright. But the problem is, there are those
who are even deprived to have some of these basic needs.
When the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc.embraces this objective as
part of its mission "to break the cycle of poverty", it is attempting to respond
and contribute to the solution of poverty by starting a program model in the two
locations or communities in the Philippines: Barrio Calantas and Nabuclod
Aeta Community, by initiating a "Scholarship Program" with implications not
only to personal but community growth and development. The said communities
become like social laboratories to implement the methodology (SWREM Theory
In Action) designed to address and respond on the issue of "breaking the cycle
of poverty". The Foundation is demonstrating that the antidote to the "I don't
care attitude" is exactly its opposite: "I care". The Foundation cares and
therefore, it shares! Sharing means maximizing the potential use of limited
resources to benefit the intended beneficiaries as they are empowered to become
the best of what they are capable of being and becoming.
Once the defined beneficiaries are empowered, then they become
self-empowered and it is then that the issue of poverty is truly addressed.
Therefore, the scholars under the Scholarship Program Model of the Calantas
Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. are like seeds planted being nurtured and
nourished to become healthy so they can bear fruits for others to eat. This
process when done on a continuous loop basis, will definitely and significantly
"break the cycle of poverty in the two social laboratories" planted with the seed
of CYDFI Scholarship Program Model.
We don't need to be materially blessed to do this but be sensitive and creative
enough in our own efforts in trying to reach out for others who need our help
most and empower them to be at their best as we empower ourselves in the
process. What it takes is the challenge to bundle ourselves together in mind and
spirit and translate it into action.
The Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. is not claiming to solve the
issue of poverty in the Philippine rural communities but only to demonstrate
and challenge us to respond on "what and how we can participate in breaking
the cycle of poverty in our midst".
only of himself, he will not care to share. When a person does not share, it
deprives others who are less privileged. If you are less privileged, you suffer
the consequences manifested by your living socio-economic conditions and find
yourself in abject poverty. When you are in abject poverty, you are apparently
condemned to your human "survival" condition of basically meeting your
human needs. For so long that I have food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter to
sleep and rest at night time, I will be alright. But the problem is, there are those
who are even deprived to have some of these basic needs.
When the Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc.embraces this objective as
part of its mission "to break the cycle of poverty", it is attempting to respond
and contribute to the solution of poverty by starting a program model in the two
locations or communities in the Philippines: Barrio Calantas and Nabuclod
Aeta Community, by initiating a "Scholarship Program" with implications not
only to personal but community growth and development. The said communities
become like social laboratories to implement the methodology (SWREM Theory
In Action) designed to address and respond on the issue of "breaking the cycle
of poverty". The Foundation is demonstrating that the antidote to the "I don't
care attitude" is exactly its opposite: "I care". The Foundation cares and
therefore, it shares! Sharing means maximizing the potential use of limited
resources to benefit the intended beneficiaries as they are empowered to become
the best of what they are capable of being and becoming.
Once the defined beneficiaries are empowered, then they become
self-empowered and it is then that the issue of poverty is truly addressed.
Therefore, the scholars under the Scholarship Program Model of the Calantas
Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. are like seeds planted being nurtured and
nourished to become healthy so they can bear fruits for others to eat. This
process when done on a continuous loop basis, will definitely and significantly
"break the cycle of poverty in the two social laboratories" planted with the seed
of CYDFI Scholarship Program Model.
We don't need to be materially blessed to do this but be sensitive and creative
enough in our own efforts in trying to reach out for others who need our help
most and empower them to be at their best as we empower ourselves in the
process. What it takes is the challenge to bundle ourselves together in mind and
spirit and translate it into action.
The Calantas Young Dreamers Foundation, Inc. is not claiming to solve the
issue of poverty in the Philippine rural communities but only to demonstrate
and challenge us to respond on "what and how we can participate in breaking
the cycle of poverty in our midst".
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| STARLIGHT WALTZ Rita II N. Mendoza |